The GENES Blog (GEnealogy News and EventS): Top stories concerning ancestral research in Britain, Ireland, and their diasporas, from Irish born Scottish based professional family historian, author and tutor Chris Paton. Feel free to quote from this blog, but please credit The GENES Blog if you do so. To contact me please email chrismpaton @ outlook.com.

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Saturday, 31 December 2016

Well that's the end of the year 2016, and to be blunt, I think I'll be glad to see the back of it, although there were some spectacular highs amidst the lows!

On the one hand I have had some truly amazing experiences as a genealogist - a talks tour in British Columbia and Vancouver Island, as well as a superb trip to a conference in Springfield, Illinois, and I have also had three more guide books published (Discover Scottish Church Records, 2nd ed, A Decade of Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, and A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy), which I am pleased to say have been selling well. In addition, I have taught four more Pharos courses, and had a lot of fun along the way, so thanks to those who signed up and participated, and have also carried out some extraordinary case work as a genealogist, including the two biggest commissions I have ever been asked to work on since I started over a decade ago, which have taken several months to work through. On top of that, various articles of mine have been published, and I've given a few talks locally - including a great Irish day down in Lancashire recently - an immense amount of fun.

On a personal front, I've continued to make progress on my own family history, including some exciting connections and progress made through AncestryDNA - and in the last two weeks have even managed to tidy my office out, which tends to happen as often as the census. Miracles do happen....!

Elsewhere, away from the genealogy sphere, I was one of many who as a team helped our local MSP Kenny Gibson to win his election campaign in May here in North Ayrshire, Scotland, and just for good measure, I started to work for Kenny in August as a parliamentary researcher, for one day a week, which has been a fascinating experience. I've also been out campaigning a lot this year, to try to amend plans for a commercial forest that is being imposed quite literally on our doorstep in Largs, to try to help save the Ardrossan ferry service to Arran, and to help raise awareness of the WASPI women's pensions campaign in North Ayrshire. So I've been juggling a heck of a lot this year, and have been all the more enthused for it - variety is most definitely the spice of life.

My wife also set herself the goal of running two half marathons in Manchester and Glasgow, which she successfully achieved - a huge thanks to GENES Blog readers who helped her to raise just under £700 for two local causes here in Largs. And most importantly, my eldest son Calum got some great results in his National 5 exams, although was stunned to initially get a C for History, which is his favourite subject. We appealed the mark, and were delighted when they agreed that they had got it wrong, and upgraded him to a B for the subject. He put his heart and soul into the exams, and it paid off - well done wee man!

There have been some major down sides, however. Brexit was something I campaigned hard against, and although we were more than successful on that front here in Scotland (62% voted to remain in the EU), I now find myself, and my kids, on the point of having our EU citizenship and rights stripped from us because we lost on a UK level.

Or at least I would have done, if the result hadn't prompted me at long last to apply for Irish passports for the three of us (my wife already has one), allowing us all to now have dual nationality. I should add that there was actually a lot more to this decision than Brexit, which merely acted as a final catalyst - I had already been thinking about it quite seriously for a couple of years purely from an identity perspective, something that was most definitely the product of fifteen years of genealogy research. Ultimately though, the fact that my kids have two Irish parents, and have been EU citizens since birth, is not something I intend to have them deprived of.

My boys actually travelled to Ireland this week for the first time on their Irish passports, and took great pleasure in sharing their new status with their cousins over in Kilkenny! If there has been a benefit from Brexit, it has ironically been the collapse in the value of Sterling, meaning that if you live overseas and wish to employ the services of a genealogist here in the UK, or even to visit yourself, your money will go quite a bit further than it would have six months ago, a situation I suspect will continue for a while.

The other major kick in the teeth, and I say this as someone who does not do the concept of celebrity, was the death of Carrie Fisher. She was an exception. I was that seven year old boy who fell in love with Princess Leia whilst at school in Plymouth in 1977, and to see such a beloved character come back to our screens after all this time, only to have her removed from us again so quickly forever, was gut wrenching, not least because of the death of her mother just a day later. It was quite a downer to end the year on, but New Year's Day is the big reset button, time to move on to the next chapter of our collective existence!

So to Don and Gerald, Donna and Ed, to Pattie, Pat and Al, Marjorie, Eunice and all in BC; to Paul, Cyndi and cohort in the US, to the Unlock the Past Team in Oz, to all my genie chums and colleagues in Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales, and to all my fellow Europeans, a resounding

Bliadhna Mhath Ùr / Athbhliain Faoi Mhaise Daoibh

Happy New Year!

Here's a few more pics from throughout the year!

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

There are many gaps to the available indexes, with the site recommending that copies of some microfilms, mainly after 1830, will need to be ordered up for consultation at your local family history library. These are also indexes only, and not the memorial/deeds entries themselves.

Established in 1708, the Registry of Deeds holds details of deeds conveying ownership or interests in properties, from transactions such as sales, mortgages, leases, marriage settlements and wills, and was first established as a means to record property held largely by Protestant landowners. The system was not compulsory, and so many transactions were never recorded, whilst for its earliest years it tended to largely record transactions for properties held by adherents to the Church of Ireland. It was not until the late 18th century and early 19th century that Presbyterians and Roman Catholics became better represented within its pages, following the relaxation of the Penal Laws.The registration system was fairly straightforward. Copies of deeds known as memorials were created after the originals had been signed by both parties. Once verified by a Justice of the Peace and signed by a witness, they were then recorded into the register in Dublin and the original memorials then filed away. The Registry itself is not the easiest to use, but can yield results with a little perseverance. There are two indexes to act as searching aids, a Land Index and an Index of Grantors, which works better for the more uncommon surnames. The indexes are decennial up to 1785, and annual thereafter. There is unfortunately no index to grantees.... If you are lucky enough to find a relevant entry, you need to note the Transcript Book, page and memorial numbers to consult the original entry.

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

A wee tip if you have been given an AncestryDNA (https://www.ancestry.co.uk/dna/) test for Christmas is to remember that there are two sides to the test that need to work in conjunction for this to be a powerful tool for your family history research. The first is quite obviously to take the test, and to send the sample off! The second though is to upload a family tree, no matter how basic, to your Ancestry account. Once uploaded, Ancestry flags up potential cousin matches, based on shared sections of DNA that you and your cousins will have inherited. If you don't upload a tree, prospective cousins will see the following if a DNA match is flagged up:

This is what Billy Connolly might refer to as being 'as useful as a fart in a spacesuit'...

There are two parts to the AncestryDNA test results. The first is the so-called ethnicity profile. If you want my advice, forget this - not only is it vague, but the bottom line is we're all human and have ancestors who come from across different parts of the world. And we all eventually make our way back to Africa - so tell me something I didn't know! The second part, the cousin connect, is where the real power of the test lies - but only if you play ball by supplementing the DNA evidence with your documentary evidence in a tree.

In the last two months I have made many connections with folk who have shared their trees. In the last week alone I have fleshed out an entire ancestral story from Donegal in Ireland, thanks to a tip found via a cousin connection, and have spent the last two days researching my first ancestor confirmed to have fought in the Peninsula Wars.

So please - do add your tree. You can privatise it to protect the living before you upload, or even make it private, so that potential cousins have to contact you for more info. But without a tree to accompany your DNA result, all that you effectively have is a boffin's result from some spit inside of your mouth that tells you next to nothing on its own.

UPDATE: Useful advice from a reader (thanks Veronica!): "Just read your blog post today and wanted to mention a tip my sister told me that when an Ancestry DNA researcher has a connection but the other person does not have a Tree linked to their results one should look at their account anyway. Many of these people actually do have a tree on Ancestry, they just haven't linked it to their DNA test. It may pay off to dig a little deeper."

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Thursday, 29 December 2016

All records for Highgate, London's most celebrated cemetery, now on Deceased Online

Highgate Cemetery in north London is reckoned by many to be the most celebrated and prestigious urban cemetery in the UK. A truly stunning example of 19th century cemetery architecture – London Cemeteries (Hugh Meller & Brian Parsons) describes it as a “Victorian Valhalla” - it holds 160,000 burials from 1839 to 2010* with records immediately available exclusively on www.deceasedonline.com.

*Records for 1863 to 1865 limited to names only.

The Cemetery is a veritable 'Who's Who' not just of notable Londoners spanning 180 years but of many who have affected the course of history from all over the world. From Commonwealth heads of state to Iranian political exiles; from punk music impresario Malcolm McLaren to German philosopher/economist/revolutionary socialist Karl Marx; from founder of the eponymous Foyles bookshop to writer George Eliot, from great train robber Bruce Reynolds to Hitchhiker's Guide creator Douglas Adams.

There are many more writers, actors, military men and women, scientists, journalists, artists, sportsmen and women, cooks, and thousands of other Londoners remembered in the graves, vaults, mausoleums, and columbaria of Highgate. The cemetery also features some of the most unusual and creative memorials and architecture found in any cemetery.

Highgate Cemetery is managed by Friends of Highgate Cemetery Trust, a not for profit organisation which depends on any revenue generated through visitors to the Cemetery and other sales including records now online. However, please note: restricted access! Avoid a wasted journey: Highgate Cemetery West is closed to the public. You cannot visit a grave without an appointment. See www.highgatecemetery.org/visit/searches.

Finding graves in the open East part of the cemetery is also very difficult. Please either read further notes on the Deceased Online website about Highgate Cemetery or visit the Cemetery's website www.highgatecemetery.org for all the cemetery rules.

There are now records for four of London's Magnificent Seven Cemeteries available exclusively on Deceased Online; the others being Brompton, Kensal Green, and Nunhead. Across London, we have nearly 5 million burial and cremation records for 54 cemeteries and 4 crematoria available on Deceased Online.

(With thanks to Deceased Online)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

With my wife and kids over in Ireland for a few days, I've taken the oportunity to have a short break of my own and to do the one thing that working genealogists rarely get a chance to do - some of my own family history research.

A recent connection formed via Ancestry DNA (https://www.ancestry.co.uk/dna/) has allowed to me to make progress on one of my ancestral lines from Donegal, the Holmes family from Raphoe. Over the last two days I have made all sorts of discoveries, including the fact that my four times great grandfather fought with the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsula Wars (and quite possibly two brothers). Of course, being Irish, it isn't the great and the good that impresses me, it is the weird, the wacky, the bizarre and the craic, and my Holmes lot haven't failed to live up to that!

One of my favourite things is language, and its evolution across time, and in doing some research using FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk), I made a fairly shocking discovery - in 1888, my three times great grandfather, John Holmes, was the very proud owner of errrr... a fully licensed 'slut'.

With apologies to the delicate of breath here - allow me to explain! It turns out that according to a dog license register on FindmyPast, John had obtained a license for a dog, and under the column for the dog's sex, were two options - 'dog' and 'slut'. Naturally, I had to look it up. From Wikipedia: "In the nineteenth century, the word was used as a euphemism in place of "bitch" in the sense of a female dog."

Not exactly the most politically correct use of language, but certainly a very real and contemporary one. Have you ever come across something in a record that has made you do a double take?!

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Wednesday, 28 December 2016

Times of India arrival and departure notices 1858 have been uploaded to the FIBIS database website. The data consists of 5703 arrivals and 3049 departures, a total of 8752 new entries.Our thanks go to David Edge and his wonderful team of volunteers!

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

After the initial 30 day period, your subscription will be automatically renewed at the normal price unless you un-tick the ‘auto-renew my subscription’ box in the My Account section of the site.

If you do not do this, you will have your subscription renewed. To untick the box, go to My Account, then Personal Details. You will see the following when you scroll to the bottom:

Untick the Auto-renew my subscription box and then click on Update details. You will be asked if you really wish to disable the auto-renew - select the option allowing you to do so, and you should now be sorted. To double check, come out of the My Account section, go back in as before, and look to see if the box is unticked when you go in once again - it should now be. If not, please don't shoot this messenger - contact FindmyPast instead for assistance at support@findmypast.co.uk or 020 33266300.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Friday, 23 December 2016

Using TheGenealogist's highly praised unique SmartSearch and its wealth of records you’ll have a better chance of finding your ancestors and adding them to your family tree. You can benefit from all the great new records released as part of our Diamond Subscription with our specially priced Christmas Offer.

This month sees the release of:- New High Resolution zoomable 1891 census images, Over 4 million Emigration records, More than 2.1 million Parish Records, Over 1 million individuals in new Army & Navy Lists (1778-1915) Thousands of new headstones added (Total 53,000 indexed headstone photos in 459 cemeteries.)

TheGenealogist can help you to build your family tree and locate more of your ancestors with its wealth of genealogical records that include Births, Marriages & Deaths, Census, Parish Records, Non-Conformist Records, Wills, Military Records, Education Records, Poll & Electoral Records. In addition to this you'll also be able to use TreeView, an online family tree builder with full privacy control.

2016 Diamond Releases

Over the last year we have already added the following:

* Over 12 million Parish records
* Thousands of Newspapers
* New Occupational Records
* Early Army Records
* Prisoner of War records
* Colour Tithe Maps for multiple counties, with more coming in 2017
* 220 Million US Census Records
* Millions of US Death Records
* Post Office Directories
* New War Memorials
* New Headstone Records

What’s Coming to TheGenealogist in 2017!

And in the New Year you’ll see even more New Data Sets coming to TheGenealogist

* Millions of new and unique Parish Records
* Bishops’ Transcripts are being added for many more counties.
* A new and unique record set covering detailed records of our ancestors houses, which will be searchable by name, address and area, with high resolution maps showing the property.
* Our ongoing project with The National Archives is set to release yet more detailed Colour County and Tithe Maps with tags to show where your ancestors lived.
* 1921 census substitute, using a wide variety of records including Trade and Residential Directories of the time.
* New decades of BT27 Passenger Lists and Emigration Records
* Expanded International Headstone Project to cover Commonwealth cemeteries.
* More worldwide War Memorials added to our comprehensive database.
* Following on from our release of over 230 million U.S. records in 2016, we will be launching more U.S. records.
* Updated high resolution image sets.

Look out for these exciting new developments and more in 2017 at TheGenealogist.co.uk

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Christmas 2016 - The Society will close at 6pm 22 December and re-open Wednesday 28 December
New Year holiday and 2017 stocktaking - The Society will close at 6pm on Thursday 29 December 2016 and re-open on Tuesday 10 January 2017

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

From one County Antrim man trying to keep an eye on everything for you, to another....!

Have you been on the genealogy naughty or nice list?! :)

Merry Christmas / Nollaig Chridheil / Nollaig Shona

See you on the other side!

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

So all that I can say is that this is worth adding to the ancestral toolbar - but until further details emerge as to what is and what is not covered by the collection, please just make sure you understand that this is not in any way, shape or form the entire contents from the National Records of Scotland's CH2 kirk session, presbytery and synod holdings!

For a detailed overview of Scottish church records - including those found beyond the Church of Scotland, don't forget my book Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), which is packed with useful tips and information on what is to be found in the records, and how to create a comprehensive research plan to locate and use the records.

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

The Reading Room will close at 12.30 on Friday, 23rd of December 2016 and re-open on Wednesday, 28th December 2016 at 9.15.
The Reading Room will be closed on Monday, 2 January 2017 and will re-open at 9.15 on Tuesday, 3 January 2017.

The Library will close on Friday 23 December at 17:00 and re-open on Tuesday 3 January at 09:00 (the Reading Rooms will open at 09:30)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Tuesday, 20 December 2016

The sixth annual Discover Your Ancestors periodical is now available - here's a summary of what to expect within its 196 pages:

Issue 6 of the critically acclaimed annual printed magazine Discover Your Ancestors is now available, featuring more than 190 pages of beautifully illustrated content and more than 30 stunning features on social history, places, research advice and much more. The main articles include:

Fascinating features about life in the past
Different types of records explored
Jane Austen: 200th Anniversary
Milestones of past lives: Follow key moments in your ancestors' journeys from birth to death
Celebrity genealogies: Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch & Paul Daniels
and much more!

Also included is a FREE Cover DVD with over £170 worth of resources! Containing:

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Monday, 19 December 2016

Military genealogy website membership discount
26th to end of 29th December:

Forces War Records is offering a 50% discount on membership – less than £25 for the year, or less than £5 for a month (use code XMAS50), plus a free download ‘Getting Started’, a unique set of tutorials and information to help with genealogy tree building.

Forces War Records’ military specialists will be on tap over the Christmas period to help with commonly asked questions such as:
"Why can't I find WW2 records?"
"Was my ancestor injured and if so which hospital would he have been in?"
"Which medals might my ancestor have been awarded?"
"I know which regiment he was in but where did he serve?"
"I'd like to find where my ancestor is buried, can you help me?"

Ex-forces forum site membership discount
27th to end of 30th December:

Forces Reunited is the sister site of Forces War Records, is offering 1 year’s membership for just £5 (use code 9900). The largest online community of ex-forces with over 1 million members, has also reached a milestone of 15 years.

(With thanks to Jennifer Holmes)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

I've just been notified by the team behind the ScotlandsPeople website (www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk) that the annual update of records for 2017, to add images of statutory birth records for 1916, marriage records for 1941 and death records for 1966, will be carried out on Thursday 5 January 2017, rather than the usual January 1st date previously adhered to.

I have been advised that this is "to ensure that staff are available to deal with any follow-up queries customers may have".

(With thanks to Richard Holligan)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Saturday, 17 December 2016

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is seeking applications from the brightest and the best young people aged 18 to 25 to join a new CWGC Centenary Interns programme in 2017.

The CWGC Centenary Interns will join the Commission for four months, based in France and Belgium, to welcome visitors to some of the CWGC’s most well-known sites. These will include the CWGC Tyne Cot Cemetery near Ieper (Ypres), which will be the focus of the UK Government commemorations of the Centenary of Passchendaele: Third Battle of Ypres in July 2017.

The CWGC Centenary Interns will welcome visitors to, and guide them around, CWGC cemeteries and memorials. They will also undertake research and help offer context and a clearer understanding of both the CWGC and the First World War, from the perspective of people the same age as many of the war dead.

UK Government funding for the new programme was announced by former Chancellor George Osborne on the Centenary of the Battle of the Somme in July 2016, and it will launch early in the New Year. Over the next two years the CWGC expects to bring more than 40 interns to the Western Front, funded by a £600,000 LIBOR grant.

CWGC Director General Mrs Victoria Wallace, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for young people interested in the First World War to help others gain a real insight into the workings of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which has done such wonderful work in commemorating the fallen of the two World Wars for 100 years. The CWGC Centenary Interns will be able to welcome and help visitors, and share with them the stories of so many of those we commemorate. It is a chance to be right at the heart of the UK and Commonwealth commemorations in France and Belgium in 2017 and 2018. Please tell any enthusiastic young people you know to consider this great role, playing a part in marking such histori
c anniversaries.”

Dr Andrew Murrison MP, the Prime Minister’s Special Representative for the Centenary Commemorations of the Great War, added: "Centenary Internships are an exciting, high quality opportunity for young people and an appropriate and enduring way to remember and reflect on the Great War.

"I anticipate a great deal of competition for the places announced today and that participation will have a lasting impact on successful applicants.”

Those wishing to apply can find full details on the CWGC Blog at blog.cwgc.org/interns2017 or register their interest via interns@cwgc.org

(With thanks to Peter Francis)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Friday, 16 December 2016

The latest podcast from the National Archives in England (www.nationalarchives.co.uk) will be of interest to those with ancestors in early medieval England. Entitled The life and death of King John, the 42 minute long talk by Professor David Carpenter, Professor Stephen Church, and Dr Marc Morris deals with the following:

King John’s acts of misgovernment prompted his barons to demand reform, setting the kingdom on the road to civil war and leading to John’s grant of Magna Carta. Why was he seen as such a terrible king and how did Magna Carta come about?Professor David Carpenter, Professor Stephen Church and Dr Marc Morris discuss the life and reign of King John, 800 years after his death in October 1216.

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

York's Archbishops Registers Revealed provides free access to over 20,000 images of Registers produced by the Archbishops of York, 1225-1650, in addition to a growing searchable index of names, subjects, places and organisations. The registers are a valuable, and in many cases, unexploited source for ecclesiastical, political, social, local and family history - covering periods of war, famine, political strife and religious reformation in the Archdiocese of York and the wider Northern Province.You can browse images using the options below, or search the 3109 indexed entries via the search interface. Further information, guidance and supporting material relating to the registers will be added to the site as time goes on.Pilot imaging and development, as well as the indexing of the register of Archbishop Neville (1374-1388) was funded by the Andrew W. Mellon foundation. The conservation, imaging and technical development phases of the wider York project were also generously funded in 2014-2015 by the Andrew W Mellon Foundation, along with the indexing of the Sede Vacante register, 1304-1306. Indexing of the registers 1570-1650 has been funded by the Marc Fitch Fund, and will be complete by October 2016.

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

British Army discharges, 60th Foot 1854-1880
Containing over 10,000 records, British Army discharges, 60th Foot 1854-1880, will allow you to find out if your ancestor served in the King's Royal Rifle Corps.

Middlesex War Memorials
Middlesex War Memorials contains over 21,000 transcripts taken from War memorials in over 40 parishes in the English county of Middlesex. The collection contains names of soldiers who died while on active service between 1845 and 1998 and covers 13 conflicts.

Queensland Passports Index 1915-1925
The Queensland Passports Index 1915-1925 is an index of passport registers containing over 13,000 names. The original registers were compiled by the Collector of Customs, Brisbane, and are currently held by the National Archives of Australia. Each record includes a transcript that will reveal the year your ancestor's address, the date they applied for or renewed a passport and where they intended to travel to.

New South Wales 1841 Census
This new collection consists of the only surviving records from the 1841 census of New South Wales. Containing just under 11,000 names, the collection includes both fully searchable transcripts and scanned images of the original household returns, affidavit forms, and abstracts of returns that will allow you to discover where your ancestors were living in 1841.

Britain, Histories & Reference Guides
Over 13,000 records have been added to our collection of British Histories and Reference Guides. The collection consists of 65 volumes on genealogy, heraldry, palaeography, geography, and more.

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Sunday, 11 December 2016

Calling all genealogy cruisers - it looks like I might be heading back out with Unlock the Past again!

Unlock the Past is hoping to run a genealogy cruise of Alaska in the third quarter of 2018, and I've provisionally agreed to take part as one of the speakers, which I am very much looking forward to (subject to the final cruise date being acceptable, which will be confirmed early next year, and my own personal circumstances in 2018 permitting).

This will be my fourth cruise with Unlock the Past, having previously spoken on cruises from New Zealand to Australia, around Australia again, and a third voyage around the Baltic last year, all of which were great experiences. Genealogy cruises are exceptional fun - you get the holiday experience of a cruise combined with the benefits of a genealogy conference whilst at sea. On top of that, you get some experienced genealogists, trapped on a boat, with nowehere to run or hide - the chances of breaking down your research brick walls don't get much better...!

Here is the proposed provisional itinerary for how it is hoped the Alaskan cruise might work:

MGSun – Juneau, USA 12noon to 9pm – surrounded by fjords, forest and snow-capped mountains, Juneau is one gorgeous state capital. Its historic city centre harkens back to its gold-rush origins and you can still pan for gold. But nature is the priceless treasure.

Mon – Skagway, USA 7am to 8:30pm – the great Klondike Rush lives on in Skagway’s charming city centre of restored 19th-century buildings and its historic railway. From the vintage train, admire the mountains and see the 1898 trail that fortune seekers travelled on foot.

Tue – Tracy Arm, USA 7am to 12noon – just south of Juneau lies the magnificent Tracy Arm Fjord, carved by glacier activity. Among the sights to admire from the icy waters are waterfalls cascading down 900-m (3,000-ft)-high granite walls.

Wed – at sea

Thu – Victoria, Canada 9am to 6pm – the capital of British Columbia is filled with blooming gardens, heritage architecture and historic charm. The heart of Victoria is its scenic harbour and Old Town, compact areas that are made for strolling and easily explored on foot.

I wonder if I should also mention that I might be heading down under again to New Zealand and Australia before this?! Perhaps I might just hold onto that thought for a while longer...! :)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

I've reached a bit of a milestone today in my genealogy career, in that I have just sent through my 200th article for Your Family History magazine (previously known as Your Family Tree)! The article will be published in the Feb 2017 edition.

My first ever article for the magazine was a case study for issue 40 (August 2006, see pics) about my grandfather's plight being trapped as a child in occupied Brussels throughout the First World War, where his father died whilst hiding from the Germans to prevent internment.

Although this was not my first ever published article, it was certainly
my first ever published family history themed article, and led me to
subsequently write for other titles, and to set up this blog.

When I started Garrick Webster was the editor in charge, and since then I have worked for various other editors, including Russell James, Tom Watson, and now Nell Darby and Andrew Chapman, as well as various sub-editors and designers. I have been delighted to see the magazine continue to go from strength to strength - I still can't believe I have been writing for it for ten years now!

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.